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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502781">(in)complete verse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml'>yoonminoml (fanficloverme96)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Gen, Non-Graphic Violence, after part 4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:02:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502781</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[Set after part 4]</p><p>“You will never be able to fulfil my dreams,” Kujou declares, seemingly unaware of how Tenn’s heart drops to his stomach at those words and how he blanches from them, “You cannot be Zero. Do you know why, Tenn?”</p><p>“Kujou-san, I -,”</p><p>Ignoring the beginning of Tenn’s pleas, Kujou lifts one hand and points towards a certain direction.</p><p>“Because Zero is right there.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kujou Ten &amp; Nanase Riku</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(in)complete verse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Kujou Takamasa feels cold to the core.</p><p> </p><p>His room in the large house feels smaller than usual, as though the walls are boxing him in. There are papers scattered all over the floor and on the bed, and the man himself has a bunch of music sheets firmly in his grip. His lips are moving but the words he’s saying are mostly incomprehensible. When he looks at the mirror, he finally catches sight of his own reflection.</p><p> </p><p>His gaze mirrors back a look of insanity.</p><p> </p><p>“My plans...are all going into disarray,” he mutters, “I can’t figure out what Haruki is trying to say.” He looks at the music sheet in his hands, the printed music notes now looking like a foreign language to him. One he could not ever hope to decipher.</p><p> </p><p>“I trusted you, Haruki,” he says, a little angry now, “I trusted you like I trusted Zero. You knew what my dreams were. You knew what I wanted, and yet!” He throws the papers onto the floor, his expression a mask of fury. “Why are you mocking me still?! What is this song supposed to convey?! It sounds...wrong. It sounds incomplete.”</p><p> </p><p>He grips his hair, breathing harshly. “But Sakura Haruki will never give me an incomplete song, so why…?”</p><p> </p><p>And then, like the world has suddenly come together into perfect harmony, he knows the answer.</p><p> </p><p>“That boy…” he whispers, “The answer is with that boy, isn’t it, Haruki?” His lips stretch into a wide smile before a humorless laughter rises out from his throat. “The boy that is standing in the way of all my plans.”</p><p> </p><p>He balls his fingers into a fist.</p><p> </p><p>“Nanase Riku-kun,” he says, eyes gleaming, “The one destined to replace the legend that is Zero.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Riku could count on one hand the number of times he had the chance to talk to Tenn this year alone. Two, maybe, if he tries hard enough. </p><p> </p><p>Ever since their return from Northmere, IDOLiSH7’s already growing popularity only skyrocketed and the members find themselves rushed from one schedule to another. Their individual schedules increased in tandem as well, and now Riku not only has a hard time seeing his brother, he also rarely sees his friends. </p><p> </p><p>Which is why when Tsumugi announced that the group will be doing a live concert to promote their new single, Everyday Yeah, which shot up in all major music charts, Riku had been <em> ecstatic </em>. It proved to be a tiring schedule as most lives were, but it also allowed the members to finally do something together. </p><p> </p><p>To add icing on top of the cake, Riku also learned that TRIGGER was also finishing up a live at a venue nearby and when Tenn had surprisingly agreed to meet and walk together after both of their lives, Riku had been over the moon.</p><p> </p><p>Now, walking side-by-side with his older brother on the path that overlooks Zero Arena, Riku wishes this moment would last forever. </p><p> </p><p>“How was your live, Tenn-nii?” Riku asks excitedly, “I wish I could attend one of your concerts some time.”</p><p> </p><p>“It went well. The fans were happy to see us and the feeling’s mutual.” Tenn turns to Riku. “You’re busy these days, aren’t you? Do you have time to play around?”</p><p> </p><p>The words sound harsh to the ears but Riku merely smiles at them, knowing that those words hid concern that even now, his brother has trouble properly expressing. It’s a little endearing once Riku has learnt to not take Tenn’s words at face value.</p><p> </p><p>“I should have a free weekend coming up, I think. That’s what I overheard my manager said, anyway.” He beams at Tenn. “Even if I can’t watch a live show, I’d be happy to spend time with you if you’re not busy that day, Tenn-nii.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn pauses. “Riku.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mm?”</p><p> </p><p>“Is work too heavy for you?” he asks, his voice a little quiet. </p><p> </p><p>Rku blinks. “O-oh, um.” He scratches the back of his head as he walks. “A little,” he confesses, “But I’m okay, Tenn-nii! It’s good that IDOLiSH7 is popular now. I remember when we first debuted, it was hard for Manager to get a lot of decent deals, since we’re from a small company and all that.” He skips a few steps forward before turning around on his heels, opening his arms with a flourish in front of his brother. “But now that’s not the case! I’m glad that a lot of people know us. Everyday we’re one step closer to achieving our dream of surpassing the rainbow.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn gives him a complicated look. “And this rainbow is…?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku grins, showing his teeth. “We all have our own different meanings of the rainbow, but for me, it has always been you, Tenn-nii.” </p><p> </p><p>“Riku…” Tenn shakes his head. Riku’s eyes widen in surprise when Tenn’s hands close around his wrist, his brother looking at him with gentle eyes. “You don’t need to surpass that rainbow, Riku. Or rather than surpassing it, I think you’ve become a brilliant rainbow as well. One that shines in other people’s lives and makes their days brighter by just looking at it.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku looks visibly touched. “Tenn-nii…” He laughs shakily. “It feels like I’m in a dream.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because Tenn-nii is here holding my hands,  and Tenn-nii is saying all these kind words to me.” There is another watery laugh as Riku smiles at him. “It’s like a beautiful dream.”</p><p> </p><p>There is something blooming in Tenn’s chest. He doesn’t know what to name the emotion that bubbles underneath his skin but it spurs him to let go of Riku’s hands, not even allowing him to really register the look of surprise on his little brother’s face when he does this as he lunges forward and grabs Riku into a tight embrace.</p><p> </p><p>“T-Tenn-nii?!” Riku squeaks, surprise coloring his tone, “W-what’s wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing’s wrong,” Tenn whispers against Riku’s shoulder. Riku smells like vanilla and something sweet and he’s really warm in Tenn’s hold, even in the chilly night air. “Nothing’s wrong, Riku. Everything is alright. It’s not a dream.”</p><p> </p><p>Being happy like this, with his group recovering from their previous downfall and his little brother now healthier and being able to jump around on stage and sing his heart out with a single care -</p><p> </p><p>With him being able to show his kindness to Riku more openly now -</p><p> </p><p>Tenn doesn’t want it to be a dream. </p><p> </p><p>Riku’s hands lightly grip the fabric of Tenn’s shirt, grasping at his back. He returns the embrace, pressing his cheek against Tenn’s. </p><p> </p><p>“Mmph,” Riku agrees, “It’s not a dream.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not a dream,” a new voice drifts into the air, breaking the heartwarming moment between the brothers, “Because if it is, you’ll turn it into a nightmare, Riku-kun.”</p><p> </p><p>The twins turn to see a man standing a few feet away from them, looking at them with seemingly unseeing eyes. He has a smile that stretches unnaturally across his face, like it would split into half. His pupils are shrunken, further adding to the look of insanity he is wearing.</p><p> </p><p>“Kujou-san?” Tenn furrows his brows, “What are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>Kujou takes an unsteady step towards both of them, one of his hands outstretched as if to reach out for the brothers. His other hand is gripping a bunch of papers, which already look crumpled from his unrelenting hold on them. Tenn automatically releases Riku from his hold to stand protectively in front of him, his expression wary as he looks at his guardian.</p><p> </p><p>Something about Kujou now doesn’t seem… right.</p><p> </p><p>“I came here to see Riku-kun,” Kujou answers, “So be a good boy and step aside, Tenn. Let me talk to him for a bit.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn clenches his jaw and stands his ground. Normally, he would think twice about disobeying his guardian like this - he had endured enough punishments to know what it would entail if he defies Kujou - but seeing Kujou like this - eyes unfocused and a smile too big, too unsettling than his usual subdued, mildly interested ones -, it’s as if his body is on autopilot.</p><p> </p><p>Especially since it was Riku’s name first that was spilled from the man’s lips instead of his own and Tenn isn’t sure if he likes the way he says it. Not sure if he likes the way Kujou seems to be looking at Riku now with a strange mixture of fascination and…</p><p> </p><p>Hatred.</p><p> </p><p>Riku peeks from around Tenn’s shoulder, blinking his eyes in confusion.</p><p> </p><p>“What is it, Kujou-san?” he asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Riku,” Tenn warns but Riku shakes his head at him. Although Riku obediently remains behind Tenn, he’s looking at Kujou straight in the eye as he addresses him. This apparently only serves to anger Kujou further. If he looked bothered before, Kujou seems absolutely agitated now.</p><p> </p><p>“Give me the answers I need, Riku-kun,” he demands, glaring at him, “I’ve been trying my best to get them on my own but I’m grasping at the straws and my patience is wearing thin. I know you have the answers, Riku-kun. Tell me what they are.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku frowns, looking even more confused. “Kujou-san, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p> </p><p>Kujou takes both twins by surprise when he abruptly lifts his hand up and throws the papers he was holding into the air, scattering them everywhere. The papers rain down on them and when Tenn reaches out to catch one of them, he sees that it is a music sheet, some of the notes already fading away from rubbing and erasing. The paper margins are scribbled with comments written in pen and Tenn instantly recognizes them as Kujou’s handwriting.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Wrong. Why is this part like this? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> This bridge sounds incomplete. Is this a mistake? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I don’t understand, I don’t understand, I - </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand!” Kujou yells. Riku flinches behind Tenn from the force of his words while Tenn narrows his eyes, his arm lifting to shield Riku further. “Tell me what do these mean! Haruki’s last song...why can’t I decipher it?!” </p><p> </p><p>Tenn sucks in a breath. Behind him, he could hear Riku making a sound of surprise as well. The music sheet in Tenn’s hand...it’s a part of Sakura Haruki’s work?</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you have Sakura-san’s work?” Riku asks, “They weren’t...Nagi’s supposed to have them -,”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s in his will,” Kujou answers, the calmness in his tone only enunciating the cruel delight he takes in by watching the shock coloring Riku’s face. “This song is to be entrusted to me. It’s mine to have.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re wrong!” Riku insists, “Why would he give it to you of all people -,”</p><p> </p><p>“The three of us...Zero...Haruki...myself...we shared a dream, Riku-kun.” Kujou looks at his hands, his expression growing more and more twisted with each passing second. “Now Zero’s gone and Haruki’s no longer in this world...this song is the only thing that’s left of our dreams. <em> My </em>dreams.” He lifts his head to look at them again. “And yet, I can’t seem to understand it. I knew…” He smiles again, detached and horrifying. “That’s when I knew you would have the answers I need, Riku-kun. Tell me!”</p><p> </p><p>He steps towards them again. The nearer he approaches, the clearer the insanity on his face becomes. Something isn’t right. This Kujou isn’t right.</p><p> </p><p>“Kujou-san, calm down,” Tenn says slowly, “Let me take you home, okay?” He takes a step forward, arms forward as if to placate a wild animal, but Kujou merely shoves him away. Tenn’s heart lurches when he sees the look Kujou is giving him. It’s not a look he has ever seen on Kujou’s face - at least not ever addressed to him. Tenn had worked hard all these years to prevent Kujou from ever giving him such a look and yet -</p><p> </p><p>Here he is now, looking at him with disdain, mixed with disappointment.</p><p> </p><p>“It took me too long to realize, but I do now,” Kujou says quietly, his eyes cold as he gazes at Tenn, “No matter how hard I’ll try to shape you, it won’t ever be enough.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn swallows heavily, not liking where this is going. “Kujou-san…?” </p><p> </p><p>“You will never be able to fulfil my dreams,” Kujou declares, seemingly unaware of how Tenn’s heart drops to his stomach at those words and how he blanches from them, “You cannot be Zero. Do you know why, Tenn?”</p><p> </p><p>“Kujou-san, I -,”</p><p> </p><p>Ignoring the beginning of Tenn’s pleas, Kujou lifts one hand and points towards a certain direction.</p><p> </p><p>“Because Zero is right there.”</p><p> </p><p>His finger is pointing straight towards Riku, who stares at him, frozen in shock.</p><p> </p><p>“E-eh…?” Riku takes a step back. “I-I...Kujou-san, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not Zero.”</p><p> </p><p>“You are,” Kujou insists, the wildness in his eyes increasing intensity. He has his body turned fully towards Riku now, seemingly forgetting about Tenn’s presence entirely. “Once you sing this song, you’ll reveal yourself as the true successor of Zero. No.” He shakes his head. “You’re Zero himself, and I’ll prove it to you!”</p><p> </p><p>Riku lets out a gasp when Kujou abruptly walks up towards him and roughly grabs his shoulder with one hand and grabs Riku’s chin with the other, forcing the boy to look at him. “Sing for me, Zero,” he says, sounding more and more maniacal. He presses his fingers tighter into Riku’s skin, forcing the boy’s mouth to part. “Sing for me and help me understand!”</p><p> </p><p>“Kujou-san!” Tenn shouts, rushing to grab Kujou by the shoulder and trying to pull him away, “Let go of Riku! He’s not Zero!”</p><p> </p><p>Kujou’s grip on Riku is unrelenting and Tenn could tell that it’s starting to hurt from the look of pain that flashes across Riku’s face. The way that Kujou’s fingers are pressing against Riku’s jaw also presents the risk of Riku accidentally biting his tongue if he struggles or if Kujou makes the wrong move. “Kujou-san, snap out of it!” Tenn yells, “I can sing that song for you, Kujou-san. I’ll sing any song you want. I promised you, didn’t I? I’ll never leave you, so please -,”</p><p> </p><p><em> “Lies!” </em> Kujou roars, finally addressing him. He turns around and roughly pushes Tenn to the ground. Tenn lands wrongly on his side due to the force of it and gasps out in pain, curling into himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii!” Riku screams, “Tenn-nii, are you okay?!”</p><p> </p><p>He struggles against Kujou, but the man is surprisingly stronger than he looks. Or perhaps his insanity is giving him the adrenaline he needs to never lose hold of the person he both despises and desires to see.</p><p> </p><p>“Lies,” Kujou continues, “That’s what Zero said and now look what happened! Haruki said the same thing and he’s no longer here, either. You’ll leave me, Tenn. No...You<em> already </em> left me! Now that I realize that Zero is here all along, I’ll never let him go.”</p><p> </p><p>In the midst of his pain, Tenn could see something glinting in the light. Kujou releases Riku’s mouth to take something from his pocket. His thumb pushes the slider up.</p><p> </p><p>A box cutter.</p><p> </p><p>Kujou laughs, his voice tilting towards madness. “I’ll keep you by my side, Zero,” he promises to Riku, “After all.”</p><p> </p><p>He lifts the box cutter into the air.</p><p> </p><p>“A bird can’t fly if I tear off its wings.”</p><p> </p><p>Kujou...he’s going to -</p><p> </p><p>“Stop!” Tenn yells, pushing himself to his feet. Using the last of his adrenaline, he wraps his arms around Kujou’s waist and tackles him to the ground. “Don’t hurt Riku!”</p><p> </p><p><em> “Shut up!” </em> Kujou shoves Tenn off only to quickly pin the boy to the ground with his weight, his legs trapping Tenn underneath him. “If you keep standing in my way, I’ll have to tear off <em> your </em>wings too!”</p><p> </p><p>Before Tenn could even properly react, Kujou already had the box cutter lifted high in the air. He could only see the glint of the metal before Kujou brought his weapon down.</p><p> </p><p>Tenn hears Riku scream his name before his vision turns into bursts of red.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Has anyone seen Riku?”</p><p> </p><p>Yamato looks up from his phone to blink at Mitsuki. “Isn’t he with Kujou? I saw the two leaving together from the back door. They might be taking a walk.”</p><p> </p><p>Mitsuki chews the inside of his cheek, worry evident on his face. “I don’t know why but I have a bad feeling about something.” He glances at the clock in the green room. “Manager will be done with her post-concert meeting soon, so maybe we should fetch him back. I’m sure TRIGGER will want to have their centre back too.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s rare for you to sound this worried,” Yamato notes with some surprise, “But I guess you’re right.”</p><p> </p><p>After a quick text message to Tsumugi and a nod to the rest of the group, Yamato and Mitsuki set out, slipping on their masks and adjusting their hats to avoid being recognized by possibly lingering fans. </p><p> </p><p>“If I’m not wrong, Riku said he’ll be walking along the river overlooking Zero Arena,” says Mitsuki.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s everyone’s go-to spot these days, yeah,” Yamato says with a shrug. “Oh, is that TRIGGER?”</p><p> </p><p>The top of Gaku’s and Ryuu’s head can be seen from a distance away. Yamato and Mitsuki wave at them, waiting for them to come closer. Ryuu is the first one to smile and wave back, quickening his pace towards them.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, are you about to leave?” Ryuu asks.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” Yamato nods, “Mitsu and I are looking for Riku. Are you looking for Kujou?”</p><p> </p><p>“Anesagi-san is about to drive us back,” Gaku replies, “So yeah. Should we look for those two together?”</p><p> </p><p>Mitsuki flashes a thumbs up. “Sounds like a plan to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I heard your concert went well,” Ryuu says a while later, “IDOLiSH7 is everywhere these days. Almost every time I switch on the TV, there’s usually a face of at least one of you showing on screen.”</p><p> </p><p>“There was a giant ad of Nanase in the city square the other day too,” Gaku says with a grin, “Didn’t he make it in the “most desired” ranking recently?”</p><p> </p><p>Mitsuki grimaces. “I think most of us would agree that’s kinda unexpected.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaku laughs. “Tenn definitely wasn’t amused.”</p><p> </p><p>“TRIGGER isn’t doing so bad these days as well,” Yamato notes, “How’s the musical preparation coming along?” He grins. “You better do well so I don’t come along and steal the lead role from you.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaku smirks. “I won’t hand it over so easily, Nikaido. I have your old man’s eyes on me, after all.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Riku!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>An anguished scream stops all four of them in their tracks. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s -,” Ryuu begins.</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds like Tenn,” Gaku says urgently.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s our centre’s name he’s screaming,” Mitsuki adds, panic already written all over his face, “Something’s wrong -,”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Riku, Riku! No!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“They’re over there!” Yamato points towards a direction a distance away, “Come on!”</p><p> </p><p>Without wasting time, the four run towards the source of the voice, their hearts thumping loudly in their ears.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When Kujou brings the box cutter down, Tenn braces himself for the pain. He squeezes his eyes shut and waits, his body tensing for the inevitable. He had planned to bear with it as long as it gave Riku enough time to run. Enough time to get away from the currently deranged Kujou. </p><p> </p><p>But when the pain never comes and he hears a soft grunt that is not his own but sounds familiar in ways he <em> doesn’t </em>want it to be, he opens his eyes and is greeted by a world of red.</p><p> </p><p>He sees red hair at first - red hair he patted in the past to sooth the person’s tears or to praise for a job well done, or the one he pats during stolen moments when the cameras aren’t on them and Tenn can finally return to being the older brother he was in the past. The back of the head he has seen almost his entire life; the one he had watched as the person runs off with his new friends, his new <em> family, </em>while he stood there and understood for the first time what it feels like to be left behind.</p><p> </p><p>Then he feels a body collapsing against his own and his eyes look down and there is something red staining the front of the person’s shirt, pooling from the metal that sticks out from the skin, so close to where the heart should be, or perhaps even where the heart is and -</p><p> </p><p>Then he realizes who the person in his arms is.</p><p> </p><p>“R-Riku…” he gasps.</p><p> </p><p>“Y-you…” Kujou steps back, “I wasn’t planning to -,” He stumbles back further before dropping to the ground, releasing the box cutter in the process. He doesn’t even notice the thing bouncing off a small distance away from him due to the force of the drop, too overwhelmed by the shock running through him. “Z-Zero, I didn’t mean to - I wasn’t going to - I only wanted to <em> scare </em>you, I -,” He covers his face with his hands. “Why did you protect him?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not Zero…” Riku chokes out, his voice filled with pain. He doesn’t seem to notice the box cutter buried deep in his chest as he forces himself to his knees again, his arm stretched out as if to shield Tenn. “Even if I am… I w-won’t…let you hurt h-him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Riku!” Tenn screams when Riku sways and collapses back against his chest, “Oh my god, Riku, please, <em> please…! </em>” </p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii…” Riku’s eyes are searching for his face, relief washing over him when he finally sees his brother. “Are you...okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t ask me that, you’re the one who got stabbed!” Tenn cries out.</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s eyes slowly flit to the area where he got stabbed, looking at it with an almost faraway look, as though his mind hasn’t quite caught up with the reality of things. “A-ah, this...I’ll be alright -,”</p><p> </p><p>Kujou is moving again and Tenn flinches in reflex, causing him to jostle Riku’s body in his hold. Riku lets out a gasp of pain.</p><p> </p><p>“Riku! I…I…” Tenn’s breathing is harsh, the panic clearly setting in. “I should...I should call someone -,”</p><p> </p><p>“Give Zero to me!” Kujou howls, getting back to his feet. He doesn’t have the box cutter anymore, but in his current state, Tenn knows he is equally as dangerous even without a weapon. “Don’t you dare call the police or the ambulance or whatever! Give Zero back to me!”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Tenn screams, wrapping his arms around Riku’s shoulder and ducking his head, as if to fold his body and shield him from the man. He tries to not jostle the knife and cause Riku even more pain as he drags Riku backwards as fast as he can on his knees, putting as much distance between them and Kujou as possible. “Help! Anyone, help!”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s eyes are already sliding shut and the blood is spreading so much and all Tenn could see is red and Kujou is coming closer -</p><p> </p><p>He squeezes his eyes shut, tears streaming down his cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Someone, help us!” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn!”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn’s eyes snap open. He sees Gaku and Ryuu running towards them, Yamato and Mitsuki trailing not too far behind. </p><p> </p><p>“Tenn, are you okay -,” Ryuu stops, his eyes widening when he looks at the person in Tenn’s arms, “Riku-kun! What happened?!”</p><p> </p><p>“K-Kujou-san…” Tenn stammers. It’s hard to speak. Panic and adrenaline are still an all-time high in his bloodstream that he can’t even afford to feel relieved to see his friends. “H-He….stabbed Riku -,”</p><p> </p><p>“What?!” Gaku sucks in a harsh breath, immediately turning towards Kujou, his fist already raised. “You bastard -,”</p><p> </p><p>“Yaotome, stop!” Yamato quickly intervenes, grabbing a hold of Gaku’s arm. “Whatever you do, you can’t get violent with him!”</p><p> </p><p>“But he -!”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s not worth going to jail over!” Yamato yells before he turns to Mitsuki, “Mitsu, grab Kujou before he gets away.”</p><p> </p><p>“On it, old man.”</p><p> </p><p>Mitsuki proves to be quick on his feet, catching up to Kujou who was in the midst of fleeing from the scene. Though he had struggled, Mitsuki managed to bring the man to his knees, his arms held behind his back. Gaku runs over and helps Mitsuki to hold Kujou down.</p><p> </p><p>“Zero!” Kujou continues to scream, reaching out towards Riku, “Give Zero back to me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Go attend to Kujou and Riku,” Yamato nods to Ryuu, “I’ll call the ambulance.”</p><p> </p><p>Ryuu doesn’t need to be told twice. He kneels in front of Riku and Tenn, his voice soothing as he tries to talk to Tenn out of his panic. Tenn is barely listening. He’s too focused on Riku, whose consciousness is hanging on by the thread.</p><p> </p><p>“Riku, stay awake!” Tenn begs, “Please, please, stay awake!”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s half-lidded gaze is glassy. “Tenn-nii…” he whispers, “I’m glad...you’re safe… I protected you…”</p><p> </p><p>He’s falling asleep. He could see darkness creeping at the edges of his vision already and each time he takes a breath, his chest burns sharply, though it’s not the same heavy and constricting pain that comes with his attacks. This pain is like fire slowly but surely melting his bones and each intake of oxygen only serves to fan the flames. </p><p> </p><p>If it weren’t for the pain, Riku would have barely noticed the fact that he got stabbed. All he wanted was to protect Tenn, the way Tenn is always ready to protect him.</p><p> </p><p>Hm…? His Tenn-nii… is starting to look blurry.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t…” His tongue feels heavy. “...see anything…”</p><p> </p><p>Just before his vision darkens entirely, he thinks he hears the sound of Tenn’s cries of his names.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Tenn-nii...please don’t...cry… </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The hours seem to pass in a blur after that. After being handed from one person to the next - from the hospital to the police station -, Tenn is finally back at Ryuu’s apartment, dazed and a heavy blanket draped on his shoulders. There is a steaming mug of hot chocolate in his hands that he doesn’t feel like drinking but the warmth against palms grounds him enough to stay awake.</p><p> </p><p>Gaku and Anesagi are still discussing things in hushed voices in the kitchen, probably out of consideration for Tenn. He knows they won’t want him to hear anything that might distress him, but the fact that it hasn’t been a full day since the whole incident with Kujou happened is enough to make Tenn a little unsteady on his feet when he tries to get up.</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn!” Ryuu’s big hands steady him and coaxes him back to the sofa. “You shouldn’t be walking around so suddenly. The doctor said you might still be in shock.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to go...to the bathroom,” Tenn mumbles.</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t, but he does need to be alone. Ryuu doesn’t need to know this, of course.</p><p> </p><p>“O-oh, of course!” Ryuu steps back. “Go ahead.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn murmurs his thanks, placing his mug on the coffee table before going towards the direction of the bathroom, still gripping the blanket around his shoulders. He closes the door behind him and turns around to look at himself in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>He suffered no injury from the scuffle but it’s clear from the sickly pallor of his skin and how his eyes are still red - the veins bursting from all the yelling and crying - that he definitely did not come out from the incident totally unscathed. He lets go of the blanket, letting it drop to the ground, before he takes off the rest of his clothes. Once completely undressed, Tenn steps into the shower.</p><p> </p><p>He could still smell Riku’s blood on his skin and it’s making him really nauseous.</p><p> </p><p>He lets the shower rain down on him, his head ducked and his hands braced against the wall. Tenn thinks dazedly of the events that followed after the ambulance and the police arrived at the scene. Riku had long passed out from the pain and the blood loss since then and Tenn remembers screaming and screaming as he holds him, Ryuu pressing his outer shirt against Riku’s wound to stop as much bleeding as possible. The blade was still buried in his brother’s chest and Ryuu had tried his hardest to not jostle it.</p><p> </p><p>Kujou had been apprehended by the police and there was a giant commotion when the rest of IDOLiSH7 arrived at the scene along with Anesagi and Tsumugi. Tenn had to be pulled away from Riku before his brother could be loaded into the ambulance and then after that, it was a trip to the hospital followed by the police station and now, he’s here. Home.</p><p> </p><p>Unable to see his brother. He doesn’t even have any updates from him yet and it’s the uncertainty of it all that is making the adrenaline in his blood yet to fade away. He has to keep steady. He has to calm himself down. But Riku is hurt and Tenn was right there when it happened and -</p><p> </p><p>He looks up. The water raining down on him is bright red, staining his skin and filling the room with the smell of metal -</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Tenn-nii…” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Tenn barely hears the door being burst open. He must have not noticed the banging earlier, either. He distantly hears frantic calls of his names and gentle hands pulling him into an embrace and rubbing circles on his naked back. He thinks he’s crying, but he can’t really be sure if the taste on his tongue is from the shower or his own tears.</p><p> </p><p>Tenn doesn’t know how long he had been screaming as Gaku and Ryuu held him close in the shower stall. It is only after he wakes up the next day in his own bed, changed into new clothes, that he had passed out in the midst of it all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Nanase is okay,” Gaku tells him later at breakfast. Even with the seemingly good news, Tenn knows he’s being careful with his words. “The stab wound barely missed his heart though, so he was really, really lucky.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tsumugi-chan said we can visit him later this afternoon at the earliest,” Ryuu says gently, “He’s still groggy from the medication and the doctors will still need to observe him frequently for any risk of infection, but you can see him for a short while today if you want.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn laces his fingers together on his lap. Sitting at the head of the table, Tenn looks really small. He’s dressed in his own clothes, yet perhaps due to the way he carries himself right now, still rather shaken from yesterday’s events, make him seem tinier and more vulnerable than before. </p><p> </p><p>“And...Kujou-san…?” he asks softly, “What happened to him?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s in custody,” Gaku says, sounding a little angry, “He’s a lot calmer than he was last night, so they’ll probably proceed with questioning pretty soon. But never mind that.” He looks at Tenn in the eye. “We won’t let him hurt you or Nanase ever again.”</p><p> </p><p>Ryuu places a hand on Tenn’s shoulder, squeezing it in a way that is meant to be comforting. “Gaku’s right. We’ll be here to keep you safe.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn tries to smile at the both of them. He appreciates their sentiment but how can he explain that the ones who should protect his brother are not them.</p><p> </p><p>But him?</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The first time Riku wakes up, he sees white. For a moment, he thinks he’s dead.</p><p> </p><p>Then, he sees Tsumugi’s worried face and thinks, oh, he can’t be dead, because if he’s dead and Tsumugi’s here, that means that <em> Tsumugi </em>’s dead and he doesn’t want that. Her father would be sad. Gaku would definitely cry. IDOLiSH7 will never be the same.</p><p> </p><p>So, Riku determinedly thinks he’s not dead.</p><p> </p><p>He’s not dead, of course. He knows the moment he feels a throbbing pain on his left side, his hands shooting upwards in reflex.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey now, none of that, Nanase-san.” There is a voice that he doesn’t recognize, but the owner of the voice has a gentle face and kind eyes and warm hands which coax his own hands away from the source of the pain. “You wouldn’t want to jostle your wounds.”</p><p> </p><p>“Doctor…?” he croaks out. He realizes belatedly how <em> dry </em> his throat is. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes. You’re in the hospital. Are you in pain?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku slowly nods. “A bit.”</p><p> </p><p>The doctor turns around to face a small cart by the bed, presumably to get something for the burning pain Riku’s feeling. In the meantime, Tsumugi comes closer into view, her eyes swimming with worry.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so happy you’re awake, Riku-san,” she says softly, “Do you remember what happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“I was...Kujou-san was...I think I was stabbed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You <em> were </em> stabbed,” Tsumugi confirms, “You were very lucky, Riku-san. Kujou-san narrowly missed your heart.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku winces. Well, that explains why it hurts so much. His eyes widen when he remembers something.</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii…? Is he okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Tsumugi nods, instantly filling Riku with relief. “He’s a little shaken from what Anesagi-san said, but he’s fine.” She hesitates before leaning in to whisper to him. “Kujou Takamasa-san is also in custody.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku nods, though he barely registers those words. </p><p> </p><p>“When can I see Tenn-nii?” he asks instead.</p><p> </p><p>“After you rest,” the doctor speaks before Tsumugi could reply. He takes the IV line and injects something into it. The pain that Riku feels is quickly fading away, but now he is steadily feeling a little drowsy, his eyelids growing heavy.</p><p> </p><p>“I want to see...Tenn-nii…” he murmurs, his tongue feeling like lead.</p><p> </p><p>“After a few more hours of rest,” the doctor assures him, “Then you can see your friends, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku doesn’t even have time to feel relieved that he hasn’t accidentally outed Tenn’s relationship with him.</p><p> </p><p>He’s already out cold.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The second time he wakes up, it’s already late morning. There is a clock on the wall, and it tells him that it is now 10 AM and by sheer coincidence, there is a nurse already coming into his room to check on him and also deliver his breakfast. The meal is bland and it makes him miss even Sougo’s spicy food, but it’s not something he’s unfamiliar with and he dutifully finishes it. </p><p> </p><p>When the doctor comes in, Riku is reminded yet again not to move too much. He doesn’t particularly need that reminder, though. The throbbing pain that comes with moving his torso even by just a little bit is enough for him to keep obediently still. </p><p> </p><p>An hour later, his members come to visit. </p><p> </p><p>“Rikkun!” Tamaki wails, practically throwing himself at Riku. “You’re alive!”</p><p> </p><p>When Riku hisses in pain at the sudden force on his body, Tamaki automatically backs away, looking extremely guilty. “S-sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly, Yotsuba-san,” Iori scolds, “Did you forget that Nanase-san was stabbed?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku is still wincing from the pain but he gives them a reassuring wave. “I-it’s okay, Iori. I understand he was worried.” He collapses back against the pillows, the pain fading away, but also taking some of his body strength with it. He’s easy to tire lately - his body is probably still feeling the strain from the surgery he had for the stab wound on his chest.</p><p> </p><p>“You really did give us a scare, Riku,” Yamato says, “There was so much blood and you were passed out cold.”</p><p> </p><p>“And Kujou won’t stop screaming for you.” Mitsuki shivers. “Both Kujous.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku winces again from the mention of that name, but he doesn’t allow himself to ponder on it just yet. Instead, he tries to focus on the faces of each of his friends, taking in the varying degrees of worry they’re wearing.</p><p> </p><p>“Everyone,” he says softly, “I’m sorry for worrying you. I’m okay, though! It hurts sometimes, but I’m okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Sougo shakes his head. “That was quite a situation you just got out from, Riku. Everyone in the company was scared out of their mind while waiting for you to come out from surgery. The president made so many calls too.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about Manager?” Riku asks.</p><p> </p><p>Nagi clasps his hands together, sighing. “Our lovely lady is busy as well. She’ll visit you again as soon as she can.”</p><p> </p><p>“The fans have been informed,” Iori adds, “The reaction is as expected. Has anyone come in to question you about Kujou-san’s assault on you?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku shakes his head. “You guys are my first visitors...after Manager, that is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I can imagine that after you’re better, you’ll probably be brought in to -,”</p><p> </p><p>“Ichi,” Yamato cuts in, “Let’s talk about the serious stuff later, alright? It’s barely a day since Riku got out from surgery.”</p><p> </p><p>Iori drops his gaze, his cheeks flushing light pink. “I’m sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“N-no!” Riku waves his hands again. “It’s okay. Iori’s worried for me, right? I know he means well.”</p><p> </p><p>“We should let you rest, though,” Mitsuki points out, “We visited you now just to see if you’re okay after the surgery and now that we have our answer, we should probably go.” He smiles gently, reaching out to pat Riku’s hair. “We’ll be back with Manager and Banri-san when you’re better rested, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Rikkun, rest lots and lots, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku smiles at his friends. “Mmph, I will. Thank you for seeing me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hurry up and get better soon, Riku,” Yamato says with a soft smile, “IDOLiSH7 isn’t complete without our center after all.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Not too long after the third time he wakes up, he’s told by a nurse that someone’s coming by to visit him.</p><p> </p><p>At first, he wonders if it’s his friends again. Maybe he’ll see Tsumugi and Banri this time. Or even President Takanashi. </p><p> </p><p>When he sees that it is none other Tenn, he nearly does a double take. He sorta does, actually - choking on the rice he’s in the midst of chewing and coughing loudly to the side. He hears frantic footsteps before there are hands patting his back. By the time he’s done, he turns to look at Tenn through wide eyes, as if he can’t quite believe what he’s seeing.</p><p> </p><p>Though he doesn’t really have a good reason to feel that way,</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii,” he breathes, “You came to see me.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn steps back after making sure that Riku is now okay, crossing one arm across his torso to hold his other arm. “Of course, I would,” he says, his voice strangely quiet, “I came by as soon as your manager said it was okay.” He wavers for a moment before he finally meets Riku’s eyes. “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s head bops as he nods. “I still feel a little sore, but the nurse gave me something for the pain so I’m okay! What about you, Tenn-nii?” His eyes search Tenn’s face, who is now avoiding looking at him again. “You’re not hurt anywhere, are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” Tenn answers, “I...I wasn’t hurt.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad! I would have been really sad if you were in pain somewhere and I didn’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>“...”</p><p> </p><p>“I wonder when the doctors will let me go home. They said the wound isn’t too serious so hopefully, I won’t have to stay here for too long.”</p><p> </p><p>“...”</p><p> </p><p>“Manager said the agency hasn’t informed the fans yet, but I think it’ll probably do that once -,”</p><p> </p><p>“Riku,” Tenn speaks, cutting off Riku’s words, “How are you not angry at me?’</p><p> </p><p>Riku blinks, not expecting those words to come out of Tenn’s mouth. “Huh?” He finally notices that Tenn has his hands balled into fists at his sides and he’s shaking where he stands. He is still not meeting Riku’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to pretend, Riku,” Tenn continues, “You don’t have to bear with it and smile at me as if nothing’s wrong. You can be upset with me. In fact, you <em> should </em>be upset with me. Because -,”</p><p> </p><p>He grits his teeth and when he looks up at Riku, some of his tears escape his eyes, wetting his cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s because of me you’re hurt. I...I wasn’t strong enough to protect you,” he chokes out brokenly, “The reason I came here is to...is to…”</p><p> </p><p>“Apologize?” Riku finishes calmly.</p><p> </p><p>Tenn begins to break, his shoulders trembling as he tries to hold in his tears, but to no avail. “I’m sorry, Riku,” he whispers, “I wanted to protect you but your brother...in the end, your brother’s too weak to even do that.”</p><p> </p><p>Riku stares at Tenn as he begins to cry in earnest. It’s a little staggering to see his brother like this if Riku has to be completely honest. He’s so used to seeing Tenn as the stronger out of the two - he had to be, because Riku was born weak and he’s usually the crybaby out of the two as well. Now, Tenn stands in front of him, his hands furiously trying to wipe away his tears but they keep flowing down his cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>It’s staggering, yet also refreshing in a way. So even Tenn-nii cries.</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii,” Riku says, “Come here.”</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t quite wait for Tenn to come closer - he’s already moving towards him on the bed, his arms opening to close around Tenn’s shoulder and pulling him into a hug. His position is a little awkward - kneeling and half dangling off the mattress like this as he hugs his brother - but he pays it no mind as he holds Tenn tightly.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Tenn-nii,” he says, “I’m okay. I’m okay.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn continues to shudder against him, his tears soaking Riku’s clothes.</p><p> </p><p>Holding each other like this, safe and warm after the events of last night, Riku couldn’t find the energy to really care. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Oh you’re leaving?”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn shrugs on his coat before bending down to lace his shoes. “Takanashi-san said the doctors discharged Riku today. I don’t have anything scheduled and IDOLiSH7 does, so I offered to pick him up.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaku hums. “Do you want Anesagi-san to drive you there? The media is still abuzz about the whole thing and I’m sure you don’t want to be spotted by fans just yet.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn shakes his head. “I already called a taxi. It’s fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you say so. Still.” Gaku crosses his arms. “It’s been a week, huh? Kujou-san is still under questioning...Nanase is doing alright?”</p><p> </p><p>A soft smile appears on Tenn’s face. “He’s energetic as always.”</p><p> </p><p>Gaku returns the smile. “As expected of Nanase.” He pats Tenn’s shoulder. “Go see your brother. I’ll see you at dinner, maybe?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mmph. I’m leaving.”</p><p> </p><p>“Go safely.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn spends his taxi ride to the hospital in silence, his mind already drifting as he stares out the window. It’s been a week since Riku was hospitalized and just this morning, Tsumugi sent him a RabbitChat informing him of Riku’s discharge from the hospital. He had half-lied to Gaku - it’s true that Tenn is free and IDOLiSH7 is now, but Tenn made no offer to fetch Riku. It was Tsumugi who insisted.</p><p> </p><p>And for some reason, Tenn couldn’t find it in himself to be stubborn and refuse. Although seeing Riku still brings a wave of guilt to him, he also knows that he can’t avoid Riku forever. After his first visit the other day where he had spent a good chunk of his time crying out all the tears he held in while Riku comforted him, he did feel a little lighter. </p><p> </p><p>The only worry that lingers at the back of his mind is Kujou. What will happen to his guardian from now on? How can he keep Riku safe from that man so this will never ever make a repeat of itself?</p><p> </p><p>He doesn’t have the time to finish that train of thought when he realizes that the taxi has come to a stop in front of the hospital entrance. He quickly paid and thanked the taxi driver before getting off. He takes a deep steadying breath before walking in through the front doors.</p><p> </p><p>He has the route to Riku’s room memorized by now and when he enters the room at the far end of the hallway, he sees Riku already dressed in his normal clothes as he sits on the bed. His shirt is loose to prevent the fabric from jostling against his bandages too much, but it’s somehow a little jarring seeing him in casual clothes when Tenn had spent an entire week seeing him in the pale colors of the hospital clothes.</p><p> </p><p>His brother looks up immediately the moment he hears Tenn come in, his face lighting up when their eyes meet.</p><p> </p><p>“Tenn-nii!” he greets excitedly, “Manager told me. You’re here to pick me up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mm. Are you packed and ready to leave?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep! Ah, but the doctor said he’ll come in one last time in a bit to check my wounds before I can go. Do you mind waiting until then?”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn shakes his head. “I don’t mind.” He walks closer to the bed and only then notices that Riku had been looking at something before Tenn came in. There are music sheets on the mattress in front of him, carefully laid out in a neat row.</p><p> </p><p>“This is…?”</p><p> </p><p>Riku’s smile is subdued this time. “The song Kujou-san was talking about the other day.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn stills at the mention of that man’s name.</p><p> </p><p>“Yamato-san collected them that day and handed it to Manager for safekeeping,” Riku explains, seemingly unaware of Tenn’s reaction, “Nagi got a hold of it in the end but he gave them to me recently. He said that I should have it...though I didn’t know why he thought that way at first.”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn doesn’t miss the last two words. “At first?”</p><p> </p><p>“I looked at them really carefully,” Riku says, “I wanted to know why Kujou-san was so desperate to understand the meaning and why he thought I had the answer for it. I started humming the song and realized something.”</p><p> </p><p>He takes one sheet and holds it up for Tenn to see. He points towards a part where the melody builds up. “This part right here...the next line doesn’t seem to continue from it very well. It sounded weird and I understood why Kujou-san thought it was a mistake on Sakura-san’s part. But Tenn-nii, I found out something.”</p><p> </p><p>He takes another piece of sheet music, one that is not labelled consecutively after the first one Riku is holding. He joins the two sheets together.</p><p> </p><p>“This line doesn’t continue from here,” Riku says, tracing his finger from the end of the segment on the first paper to the segment on the other paper he’s holding. “It continues here.”</p><p> </p><p>“And not only that,” Riku continues before hesitating. </p><p> </p><p>Tenn peers at him. “Riku?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m only guessing but…” Riku looks at him. “I think this song is made to be sung by two people. And I don’t know why, but Sakura-san intentionally mixed up the order of the music sheet to prevent anyone from knowing. Prevent anyone but…”</p><p> </p><p>“Those who are meant to sing it,” Tenn finishes in a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>Riku nods. “Nagi said the same thing.”</p><p> </p><p>There is a brief pause.</p><p> </p><p>“And who do you think the other person is…?” Tenn asks, though from the way Riku is holding out the music sheet towards him, he already has an inkling. It’s an inkling that Tenn, however, is afraid to acknowledge.</p><p> </p><p>Riku is still looking at him. It’s clear from the look on his face that he’s thinking the same thing.</p><p> </p><p>“Riku, I…” Tenn bites his lip. “I don’t know. I’m...I’m afraid to sing it. Kujou-san said I wouldn’t be able to, didn’t he? I...But I also don’t want you to bear it alone.”</p><p> </p><p>There is a new, gentler smile on Riku’s face. “I won’t. And you won’t as well. We have each other, don’t we? And I think...this song symbolizes that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Riku…”</p><p> </p><p>Tenn slowly takes the other music sheet from him. He looks at the line Riku had previously pointed out briefly before meeting Riku’s eyes again.</p><p> </p><p>“Sing with me, Tenn-nii,” Riku says, “And see what this song has in store for us.”</p><p> </p><p>He holds out his hand for Tenn to take. Tenn laces their fingers together, smiling at his brother before he nods.</p><p> </p><p>“Mm.”</p><p> </p><p>They look at the music sheet, and for a moment, all Tenn could hear is their intake of breath. He tightens his hold on Riku’s hand, feeling the warmth of his brother’s skin under his touch.  Then-</p><p> </p><p>They open their mouths, their voices intermingling into a single vibrant verse.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A gift to a friend on Twitter. This one-shot is meant to be like my own interpretation of the events that might lead up to Part 5. </p><p>Kudos/comments/bookmarks are appreciated and you can find me on Twitter at @tennssi0907</p></blockquote></div></div>
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